The NGO world is often a far more political and selfish place than we believe it to be. This is very much also the case with a lot of NGOs operating in North Korea. Through my work, I have come across quite a few of these NGOs. To be fair, the partisan and often ideologically-charged debate when it comes to non-profit work in North Korea does make the people working in the field rather reticent and defensive. However, my biggest gripe comes from the lack of knowledge sharing among these NGOs. Instead of working together to figure out how best to aid North Koreans, some NGOs tend to be very possessive of any resource they have and unsupportive of other efforts.

A lot of these NGOs talk about their “special relationship” with Pyongyang. Such talk unsettles me because the mentality is one where the NGO is constrained by the need to “buy favors” from Pyongyang, rather than focusing on the results the relationship is supposed to produce. North Korea tries to compartmentalize the NGOs it works with, resulting in different rules for different organizations. Each NGO assumes that their experience is the norm, and instead of sharing with others information in order to shape the norms of the environments they all operate in, they readily accept the rules of their compartmentalized relationship.

I popped into Australia for a 2 day conference at Australia National University to present some work and to meet officials at the DFAT, Australia’s ministry responsible for trade and foreign affairs. I was looking to find out more about the impact of their previous training programs for North Koreans and to see if they are interested in restarting those programs. I managed to meet the person tasked with running those programs and he had an overwhelmingly positive view of how those programs were reshaping the dialogue on economic activity in Pyongyang. Interestingly, their program only took North Koreans under 35, and the North Korean government readily agreed to it. However, according to the professor, the programs were killed by the Bush administration, which push to cut off all UN funding for technical training in the DPRK.

The DFAT people I met involved in the North Korean desk were unfortunately far less impressive than I would have expected. I assumed that they would have good experts working on the issues but I guess it is too much of an expectation given how peripheral North Korea is to Australian interests. The people we talked to were downright condescending - preferring to lecture (about things I know already and issues I have struggled with myself) rather than listen. They did not know much about North Korea beyond the very limited amount about the country anyone can get from mass-media. It reminded me of what a friend of mine who used to cover North Korea for the International Crisis Group said: you can read 5 books on North Korea and know more than 90 percent of people working on the country full-time for the US State Department.

Because of mechanical issues, Qantas had to reschedule my flight, which left me with three hours of sleeping time before work on the next day. And to boot, they left my bag in Sydney as I made my way to Seoul.

(Istanbul, Turkey)

To North Korean watchers like me, North Korean issues often appear more important and influential than it really is. The recent local elections in Seoul proves my point. The sinking of the Cheonan ship was predicted to have a galvanizing effect on older conservative voters. This was to lead to a landslide victory by the conservative GNP. Instead, the GNP was routed in local elections. While some argue that the way the GNP handled the issue or the way it used it for its politicking backfired, I suspect the main reason is that North Korea is seldom a strong driver of voting behavior among South Koreans. Most South Koreans simply do not care much about North Korean issues.

Still, South Korean can expect conservatives to dominate for many years. I met a friend from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday who believes that South Korea will be staunchly conservative for the next presidential elections. The reason is not so much North Korea but rather impending laws giving the right to dual citizenship to some overseas Koreans. He estimates 1 million new citizens will be added among the 7 million eligible overseas Koreans. As Koreans overseas tend to be from very privileged backgrounds (which favor the GNP), my friend argues that this group will overwhelmingly vote conservative.

(Istanbul, Turkey)

On a side note, I am concerned that the scope of discretion under this law is rather wide - the citizenship will be given to people deemed “meritorious.” Given how rich businessmen in Korea who break the law are often let off for their economic contribution, I am worried about how the word “merit” will be applied.

(Taipei, Taiwan)

Why do people want to help Africa? While I do not doubt the good deeds that many have done on the continent, I have always found it strange how many Americans who have never been there would profess a desire to dedicate their lives to making Africa “better” for Africans. 

The reason why this came up is that I recall meeting people who decided that they had the next big thing that will save Africa. They run off to create a flashy feel-good model that is very media-friendly and which everyone can feel good supporting. It is hard not to shake off the suspicion that a lot of these is done more for self-promotion (look at me) rather than for the best interest of Africans. I discussed this with a friend and he pointed out that if a system promotes “doing good” as a way to social prestige, why not?

I agree with him that incentives to “do good” can be important. My fear is that incentives are mis-aligned in such a system. People do what “looks” best rather than what is truly best. Its not about Africans. Its about “me.” Good acts with unintended consequences, but still look good, are celebrated. The question then is what is the alternative in a society where incentives matters? No good works?

(Wilmette, USA)

One of my intrepid undergraduate classmates took a semester off school to study the financial sector in Kyrgyzstan. He was supposed to help set up an investment bank with some entrepreneurs based in New York who had close ties to former president Bakiyev. A week before this flight, the partners of the firm were arrested for ties to the mafia.

My friend went ahead anyway to do his research. A couple of weeks in Bishkek, the revolution took place. Last I heard, my friend is holed up in his apartment not too far from the presidential palace. At least he has Facebook at home and we are still getting his status updates. The best advice I heard from any parent was from my friend’s mom: “Please don’t use the flash or someone will mistake you for a sniper.”

(Coban, Guatemala)

On the collectivo, I met a friendly Canadian. It was his first time abroad. When we got into Coban, we looked for a hostel together. While checking a guidebook, he left his bag on the sidewalk outside of the police station. After checking in, he realized this and rushed back to find his bag. It was missing.

(Coban, Guatemala)

He went to the police station to ask for help in finding his bag. As he spoke absolutely no Spanish, I decided to follow him to help with translation using my limited Spanish. Of course, with my Spanish language abilities, I was not that much of an improvement except in one way: My Canadian friend’s approach to getting the Guatemalan police to understand his English was to speak faster and explain in greater depth. For example:

Police: When are you leaving?
Him: 6 March… but my sister is sick so I have to leave earlier
Me: [in broken Spanish] 6 March
Him: No! No! No! You got it wrong. I am leaving on 6th March as my sister has cancer and…

(Coban, Guatemala)

Anyway, when I half-mimed and half explained what had happened to the police, they told us to jump into the police truck. We had 4 cops with us. They drove us around the city telling us to identify the robber if we saw him. For the next 30 minutes, I tried explaining that my friend was not robbed and that he left his bag outside. There was no way we could identify the robber.

His experience contrasted with my experience (nearly) getting mugged. The police in Xela simply went upstairs to get coffee when I explained what had happened. I cannot help but feel that race could be a factor.

Anyway, at the end of an unproductive trip, I got the police officers to drop us off at the hostel where the hostel owner could better translate for the Canadian. At one point, the Canadian asked if there were security cameras outside the police station that might have caught the thief on film. The police officer said, “Its Guatemala man!” Everyone laughed.

(San Cristobal, Mexico)

Netbooks, small laptops with marked down costs designed mainly for internet surfing, seems to be everywhere in Mexico. From students to small businesses, many people clutch a netbook in these parts. While netbooks have put affordable computing in the hands of many, these are not exactly the hands of the poorest. Rather, the poorest often do not appear on the map.

(San Cristobal, Mexico)

During an anthropology class this semester, I presented alongside a classmate on the slums of Bombay. If you look at Bombay on Google maps through the satellite view, the slums are lively hubs dotted with corrugated tin roofs that make up the homes of many. Now switch to the map view: you see vast patches of empty white. This seems to represent the state of the poor: they do not exist, their voices are not heard, and they are simply not recognized.

(San Cristobal, Mexico)

On my way to San Juan Chamula, a temple near San Cristobal in Mexico that mixes Mayan gods with Catholic orthodoxy, I tried to find the local bus terminal that would take me there. The problem was that our “touristy” map did not mark out the lively market in this area. Thus, I was surprised to stumble upon this crowded and wide swatch of land filled with rich commercial activities. But its a market for the poor locals - one tucked away and hidden from the system´s eyes and those of the wandering tourist hordes.

(Chetumal, Mexico)

My friend from China needed a visa to cross into Belize. We headed to the Belize border as we were told that they processed visas at the checkpoint. At the checkpoint, a Mexican was collecting money for the immigration stamps one needed for exiting the country. He offered to help when my friend mentioned her need for a visa.

I went ahead to the Belizean customs to wait for my friend. Meanwhile, the ¨helpful¨ Mexican asked my friend for US$50 to process the visa. He went on to photocopy some documents at a nearby shop (yes, I know its dodgy). She paid the money and headed to the Belizean border.

The Belize customs officer pulled out a sheet to check the requirements. My friend was told that it was near impossible to get the visa (its US$2000 and you need to apply for it in Beijing).
Under P.R.C. was the Republic of China (aka Taiwan). They do not need a visa. I suspect that it is because Belize and Guatemala both recognize Taiwan instead of China as a remnant of Taiwan´s South American money for political recognition diplomacy.

We changed our plans and headed West to Palenque in Mexico instead.

(Chetumal, Mexico)

(Hsinchu, Taiwan)

Whenever I am overloaded with work, my thoughts always drift back to upcoming adventures. In 72 hours, I will be on my way to trekking through forests in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. There are research topics I hope to explore in that region. Unfortunately, I forgot to coordinate my plans with my travel partner, a former teacher of mine from China. So once we land on Mexican soil, we will have to make a 10 hour rush to the border with Belize to get her the visa – an uncertain process at best.

My thoughts have also wandered to far-away Bhutan. After making some new contacts, an opportunity has arisen to study the democratic transition taking place in Bhutan. This small Buddhist nation state in the Himalayas recently undertook changes to build a democracy (joining the thin ranks of poor but democratic states). It would be fascinating to observe this process unfolding and learn from it, and my contact would allow me to conduct my research at an affordable cost. Anyone interested in joining in? If only I had more time this summer…

Centering my travels on a research topic makes the journey take on a different dimension. Sites are linked together by a common theme and the trip turns into an unfolding thought process. I need to find a way to integrate this travel philosophy into my research.

Posting will probably be slow once I get into Central America but stay in touch, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

(Havana, Cuba) One rainy tropical night in Havana…

I was in Boston the past weekend to make an informed decision on whether I should continue on to a PhD right out of my fellowship or if I should take some time off to work in Boston (or elsewhere). The week was also semi-productive. I managed to conduct interviews for my research, catch up with friends whom I have not seen for a while and made friends with someone I should have met a long time ago,

The encounter reminded me of those missed connections ads I hear about on craigslist. It was a person I had first heard of four years ago when I visited Seoul. My ex-classmate gushes, “You have to meet her. She is awesome, energetic, dynamic…” The name would resurface again and again over the years but I never managed to put a face to the name.

Then two years ago, I was visiting a friend at Harvard and the friend-to-be was sitting two chairs next to me. We said “hi” and ‘oh you know so and so’ and soon forgot about it. I imagine that on Craigslist it might have read “You were sitting there at that Cello performance. Two chairs down from me. You had a nice smile. We missed each other…but I thought I should say ‘hello’ anyway : )” And somehow through a quirk of fate I ended up meeting the person this year. It’s a small world after all.

And the small world has been great for my research. A research project I started a few years ago is taking shape. I managed to interview someone in Boston for my research, and this person is a friend of a friend I met four years ago in Shanghai. I am also working out the ethical requirements for my project as it involves studying sensitive materials concerning human subjects. As a political science professor I consulted says, it is alright if you get into trouble, the ethics board only cares about whether you will get your subjects into trouble.